affection

People all over the world
People all over the world
People all over the world are starving
For affection

And to me this ain't funny
To me this is real
So I tell everybody
The way I feel about affection

Well I've starved before for affection
I blamed the world and it's partly the world's fault
That's true
But I was a star who said
"I don't have time for those people"
So it was partly my own fault too

Well then I relaxed a little
And I met more people who liked me
That gave me the courage to reach out and give
And that helped me to get more affection
And affection helped me to live
So I say

People all over the world they're good
People all over the world ain't bad
If everybody be snobs like I've been
They won't get what they wished they had
Affection
People are starving just to be touched, you mean
People are starving just to be hugged and kissed
Well you've got radios and magazines and cars
And there's telephones and books everywhere
But plain old affection sits there over in the corner
And it says
"Hmm it's like they've forgotten that I'm there"
You know it takes gall to reach out and try affection
On people who maybe want your touch but you can't tell
Cause they can laugh and that's like rejection
And you probably won't like that very well
But I say

People all over the world they're good
People all over the world ain't bad
If everybody keeps on chickening out
They won't get what they wished they had
Affection

"Jonathan you're scaring us
We think this is the part of the song
Where everyone had to do the group hug and stuff
We don't even like our neighbor"
"Is that what we have to do now?"
"Nope, don't worry, nah, no that's no good"
"Don't worry we're not gonna do that"
"Okay, then what's this song about anyway?"
"It's just if you do feel like it don't chicken out, that's all"
"Is that all you're saying?"
"Yeah"
"Oh, okay"
People all over the world
People all over the world
People all over the world are starving
For affection

by jonathan richman

i saw jonathan many years ago at a little club and met him after the show out front and he was a dear boyish man. i wonder what he's doing right now.